The Red Sox road show just got a whole lot bigger

APAll those calm, collected fans in Baltimore are going to love the news.

For several years now, the plan has been the same for thousands of Red Sox fans.

Catch a ride to T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island or Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. Hop a cheap flight on Southwest Airlines. Then, most importantly, join a sea of fans who have traveled thousands of miles to watch the Sox in another team's ballpark.

All that occurred without Southwest Airlines, perhaps the nation's premiere discount airline, running regular trips out of Boston's Logan International Airport.

Until now, that is.

In an interview with the Boston Globe, Southwest officials said they're now planning to fly out of Logan by the fall, right in time for a playoff run. No destinations have been announced for the initial flights, but with September games in Tampa Bay, Chicago, Baltimore and Kansas City, it stands to reason Southwest's new flights could very much be in play. In fact, Southwest just might be the primary mode of transportation for a lot of these weekend warrior fan trips.

That this will deeply offend some fans of other teams goes without saying. Any of you remember the Take Back the Yard effort? It didn't exactly go swimmingly, but it's worth noting that those sentiments run thicker than maple syrup in January.

It's hard to say how exactly Southwest might affect the pennant race, but given the thousands who use it to get from New England to games at Camden Yards alone, you better believe it could play a roll, Jack.